I gave up reading the many comments as it was taking too much of my time so I'm not sure if I am the only one who has this comment to make. I'm surprised there aren't more of the few I did read that ask why nobody wonders why JPS couldn't/wouldn't stand up for herself.
If her husband made more of it than she wished to make (other than an eye roll) then it seems like Will Smith has some growing up to do.
That so many want to make this out to be a "man's arena" Geez--it was a verbal attack (I think I probably would have just shrugged it off to assholery) that could have been addressed by JPS herself. I've seen her on her show (Red Table Talk) and she seems able to express herself. This all happened on film with lots of onlookers which I would assume would take away any perceived threat of a dangerous or violent rebuttal from Rock.
Come on Jada, if Chris Rock insulted you say something! Tell him he's being rude, tell him he's making fun of your medical condition, call him out or call him a name if that makes it better for you.
To me it looked like the dynamic between Will Smith and his wife is established. She gives him some sort of mild non-verbal or perhaps verbal clue that he needs to do her dirty work for her and he goes forward like a trained dog.
I have diminished respect for the Smiths. Chris Rock was doing what he was hired to do. It didn't seem all that bad to me. I mean, GI Jane is a powerful, sexy, independent woman. We all know why she was bald in the movie. Jada Smith is gorgeous. I've seen her with close cropped hair cuts in the past. I think she looks amazing! Why would she let Rock's "insult" bother her so much that she had to sic her husband on him. If that isn't the way it played out, why is Will Smith so entrenched in the tired old trope of "preserving his wife's dignity?" I guess it's romantic to some. To me it's bullshit!
I'm far more concerned that in the 21st century, people, men and women commenting about this situation, seem to think a husband is there to protect, even when the threat isn't physical. What does that say about our growth and progress as women. I'm uncomfortable with that.
What a different discourse we would now be engaged in had JPS stood up and told Chris Rock "STFU", "I have a medical condition you clueless jerk!" or even "Keep my MF name out of your MF mouth.
I'm editing this now because I am a white woman and JPS, being a woman of color, may be the reason why she didn't speak up for herself. When I think more I'm afraid that had she used the words I proposed that she might have been vilified. The Oscar's arena would likely be a pretty safe place for her, in terms of emotional and verbal support, had she chosen to call out Chris Rock. Instead, now we have this terrible situation of Will Smith behaving poorly, perhaps negatively affecting his career.
